Game Day!

Yesterday was game day. Every month we get together with our game group and play some good ol' board games. Along with board games, we have decided in order to relieve the burden of the host, we would make game day a potluck. Every game day has a theme and this time it was "The Continents". Every couple was responsible for bringing a food from a different continent. Lisa and I got South America. So for our contribution, I decided to make some pao de queijo, garlic picanha, and finish it off with a bottle of Guarana. Everything turned out well and I had some of the other couples asking for my pao de queijo recipe. So...here it is:

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Ikiru's Pao de Queijo

2/3 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
2/3 cup milk
2 tsp salt
4 cups tapioca starch
3 Tablespoons butter
8 oz grated parmesan cheese (the stuff in the green tube is fine)
6 oz shredded parmesan cheese
4 eggs
1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine oil, water, 2/3 cup milk, and salt into a small pot and heat until foamy. Meanwhile, put the 4 cups of tapioca starch into a big bowl. After the liquid mix heats up, pour into the bowl of tapioca starch and stir with a heavy spoon until well mixed. Mix in butter. Set aside to cool.
After the mixture has cooled (about 15-20 minutes), mix in the 4 eggs, both cheeses, and the 1/4 cup of milk. Mix with your hands until you get a big sticky mass.

Shape sticky mass into 1.5" balls and put them on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes or until the tops start to brown. Remove to cooling rack.

Yeld: 4 doz (give or take a few depending on how big you make 'em).

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I like to eat them right out of the oven where the outside is nice and crispy and the center is gooey!

I have tried all kinds of cheeses and have decided that the stuff in a tube works just as good as any other I've tried. Manchaego is good, but in this recipe, not worth the extra cost.

I find my tapioca starch at my local Asian mega-mart (Vietnamese places often carry it more than Korean places).

Back to Game Day...the menu consisted of the following:

Asia - Couscous with almonds and dried cherries
North America (with USA not being eligible for cuisine consideration) - Coconut Chicken and Rice, Mango/pineapple rum bake.
Africa - Not sure what they are called, but it was short ribs and some spicy beef skewers.
Europe - Crackers with olive tapenade and proscuito/mozzarella wheels.
South America - Pao de Queijo, Garlic Picanha, Guarana

The host was also going to serve something Australian, but he could not find Vegemite.

Overall, I thought that the food theme was very interesting and could have led to some great food, but when everything came together, I felt that no one left the house feeling satisfied. Perhaps next time we do a continent theme, we should focus on one continent and really put out some good dishes.

What about the games? ok ok, so I get carried away with food. Here are some of the games we played:

Power Grid
Memoir 44 Overlord
Relationship Tightrope
Balloon cup
Category 5
Outburst

There were some other games being played, but I was involved in Power Grid during those times. Memoir 44 Overlord went over really well. It was the first time for many of the players and I had reservations about playing a war game with some of the party gamers. However, the interaction was through the roof (strange for a war game) and everyone had a great time! In fact, there was a point where we were so loud, some of the kiddos came by and told us to be quiet (we were interrupting their movie I suppose). The scenario we played was the Battle of Prokhorovoka. I felt it was fitting considering that our game day fell on the 65th anniversary of the battle.

http://www.daysofwonder.com/memoir44/en/editor/view/?id= 1367

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_ Prokhorovka

In our version, the tide of victory swung back and forth several times over the match. Most of the battle took place in the center of the field. Early on, the Germans were the aggressive force and Soviet casualties were mounting. However, a well placed artillery barrage and armor assault quickly turned the tide and the Germans were back on their heels as the Soviets took advantage. In the end, the Germans made one last desperate push to break the lines along the left flank and secure victory, but the Soviet line held against the odds. This was enough to give the main Soviet tank force time to break through the dense forest and break the German line on the right flank to secure victory. The end score was...Germans: 11 Medals...Soviets: 12 Medals. Close game for sure!

Game day wasn't without incident though. Melissa had to be rushed to a hospital because she had been bitten earlier by a dog and her stitches had become infected.

Other than than the food and the trip to the emergency room, game day was a lot of fun. I got to scratch my Power Grid and Overlord itch. Also, it seems that everyone enjoyed Overlord so much that they would be willing to play it again.